Environmental classification controlled output level in bone conduction devices

Abstract

A bone conduction device is configured to classify received sound signals (sounds) into one or more sound categories/classes (i.e., determine the input signal type). The bone conduction device is configured to dynamically set a maximum force output (MFO) of the bone conduction device at least based on the sound class of the sound signals.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 receiving sound signals at a bone conduction device located in an acoustic environment, wherein the bone conduction device comprises an actuator and at least one battery; 
 assessing, based on the sound signals, the acoustic environment of the bone conduction device; 
 dynamically controlling, based at least in part on the acoustic environment of the bone conduction device, a maximum instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device; 
 generating, based on the sound signals and the maximum instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device, electrical signals for use in driving the actuator for delivery of mechanical force to tissue of a user of the bone conduction device; and 
 driving the actuator with the electrical signals. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the electrical signals comprises:
 processing the sound signals in accordance with at least one sound processing program to generate processed electrical signals; and 
 amplifying the processed electrical signals with at least one amplifier to generate amplified signals for driving the actuator, 
 wherein one or more operations of the at least one sound processing program or the at least one amplifier are adjusted based on the instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein assessing the acoustic environment of the bone conduction device comprises:
 determining presence of speech in the acoustic environment, and 
 wherein dynamically controlling the maximum instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device comprises: 
 dynamically increasing the maximum instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device only when speech is present in the acoustic environment. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein assessing the acoustic environment of the bone conduction device comprises:
 determining presence of both speech and noise in the acoustic environment, and 
 wherein dynamically controlling the maximum instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device comprises: 
 dynamically increasing the instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device only when speech and noise are both present in the acoustic environment. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bone conduction device comprises at least one battery, and wherein the method further comprises:
 monitoring a charge level of the at least one battery; and 
 dynamically controlling the maximum instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device at least based on the acoustic environment and the charge level of the at least one battery. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a signal-to-noise ratio of the sound signals; and 
 dynamically controlling the maximum instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device at least based on the acoustic environment and the signal-to-noise ratio of the sound signals. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining current time-of-day information; and 
 dynamically controlling the maximum instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device at least based on the acoustic environment and the current time-of-day information. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a current location of the bone conduction device; and 
 dynamically controlling the maximum instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device at least based on the acoustic environment and the current location of the bone conduction device. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating, based on the sound signals and the controlling of the maximum instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device, electrical signals for use in driving the actuator for delivery of mechanical force to tissue of a user of the bone conduction device comprises:
 applying a gain to the sound signals. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device comprises:
 dynamically controlling the maximum instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device at least based on the acoustic environment and a frequency of one or more components of the sound signals. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein dynamically controlling the maximum instantaneous amount of power that is available from the at least one battery to other components of the bone conduction device comprises:
 dynamically setting a maximum force output of the bone conduction device at least in part on the acoustic environment. 
 
     
     
       12. A bone conduction device, comprising:
 one or more sound input elements configured to receive sound signals; 
 at least one battery; 
 an actuator; 
 an environmental classifier configured to determine a sound class of the sound signals; 
 a sound processing module and amplifier configured to convert the sound signals into one or more output signals for use in driving the actuator; and 
 a controller configured to set, based on the sound class of the sound signals, a maximum peak battery power that is available to the sound processing module and amplifier when generating the output signals. 
 
     
     
       13. The bone conduction device of  claim 12 , wherein the environmental classifier is configured to detect presence of speech in the sound signals and to classify the sound signals as speech signals, and
 wherein to set the maximum peak battery power available to the sound processing module and amplifier when generating the output signals, the controller is configured to dynamically increase the maximum peak battery power available only when the sound signals are classified as speech signals. 
 
     
     
       14. The bone conduction device of  claim 12 , wherein the environmental classifier is configured to detect presence of both speech and noise in the sound signals and to classify the sound signals as speech and noise signals, and
 wherein to set the maximum peak battery power available to the sound processing module and amplifier when generating the output signals, the controller is configured to dynamically increase the maximum peak battery power available only when the sound signals are classified as speech and noise signals. 
 
     
     
       15. The bone conduction device of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to monitor a charge level of the at least one battery and to set the maximum peak battery power available to the sound processing module and amplifier when generating the output signals at least based on the sound class of the sound signals and the charge level of the at least one battery. 
     
     
       16. The bone conduction device of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the sound processing module or the environmental classifier is configured to determine a signal-to-noise ratio of the sound signals, and wherein the controller is configured to set the maximum peak battery power available to the sound processing module and amplifier when generating the output signals at least based on the sound class of the sound signals and the signal-to-noise ratio of the sound signals. 
     
     
       17. The bone conduction device of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to determine current time-of-day information and to set the maximum peak battery power available to the sound processing module and amplifier when generating the output signals at least based on the sound class of the sound signals and the current time-of-day information. 
     
     
       18. The bone conduction device of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a current location of the bone conduction device and to set the maximum peak battery power available to the sound processing module and amplifier when generating the output signals at least based on the sound class of the sound signals and the current location of the bone conduction device. 
     
     
       19. The bone conduction device of  claim 12 , wherein to set the maximum peak battery power available to the sound processing module and amplifier when generating the output signals, the controller is configured to:
 dynamically setting a maximum force output of the bone conduction device at least in part on the sound class of the sound signals.